Twisted Scizzors salon cuts for a cause

Amanda Kimball, left, owner of Twisted Scizzors, and stylists Linsey Devenow and Stacy Raphael often donate their time for charity events. COURTESY OF TWISTED SCIZZORS

Amanda Kimball, left, owner of Twisted Scizzors, and stylists Linsey Devenow and Stacy Raphael often donate their time for charity events. COURTESY OF TWISTED SCIZZORS

At Twisted Scizzors, it’s not always about the hair.

Since opening in 2008, the salon has held regular fundraisers to benefit various community causes. The most recent was this month’s event for Headbands of Hope. For every headband the group sells, another is given to a girl with cancer, and $1 is donated to fund childhood cancer research.

Owner Amanda Kimball said the salon’s philanthropy grew out of a family tragedy.

In 2006, Kimball’s husband was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident and was in an induced coma for more than a month.

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“He broke almost every bone in his body,” she said. “Three times during that month, I was told he wasn’t going to make it.”

To complicate matters, the accident was not out of state. Her husband was hospitalized in Knoxville, Tennessee.

“People did a lot for me,” said Kimball, who has four children. “They cleaned my home, made dinners for my family, and my baby sitter took the kids for a week so I could be with him.

“People were paying my mortgage because he was out of work,” she said. “Somebody deposited $2,000 in our checking account to pay bills. Others were doing what they could to help me.”

The experience strengthened Kimball’s resolve to do whatever she could for others in need.

“I pay it forward whenever I can,” she said.

The salon holds one or two cut-a-thons every year. All proceeds from the day go to a designated charity. Past beneficiaries have been Hurricane Katrina survivors and groups supporting breast cancer awareness. Earlier this year, Twisted Scizzors provided Mother’s Day hairstyles to residents of Rex Healthcare Rehabilitation in Apex.

“This year we were looking for a way to help children,” Kimball said. She saw a news segment on Headbands of Hope and decided it would be a good fit.

“While their work is national, I liked that they started local,” she said. The founder of Headbands of Hope is a graduate of N.C. State University.

Kimball said the cut-a-thons are a group effort. The week leading up to the event is hectic as specialized T-shirts are made and the salon is readied.

“The stylists come in on their day off and don’t get paid,” she said.

Any tips are collected in a jar and added to the total donation. The staff brings in food, and volunteers help with sweeping and other chores.

“We stay busy all day, from 10 to 4,” she said. “I have a great team that supports my cause and it means a lot. They work hard to make sure the event goes smooth that day.”

While Kimball’s husband made a full recovery, the story didn’t end there. Two years after his accident, the baby sitter who was an invaluable help during his hospitalization, also was involved in a motorcycle accident. She didn’t survive.

“I thought that would never be possible,” Kimball said.

Last month, Kimball made her life’s message permanent. She now has a tattoo with the words “Pay it Forward.”

Do you know of a business in Apex, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs or Morrisville that you’d like to see featured? Email carynews@newsobserver.com.

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